That premise played itself out emphatically Tuesday night in front of 10,324 fans at the XL Center as UConn beat Villanova, 76-43, and completely outclassed the team tied with the Huskies for second place in the Big East.

Villanova went into the game with a reputation for being a poised, efficient 3-point shooting team. The Wildcats are patient and willing to move the ball carefully waiting for an open 3-pointer late in the shot clock.

It's a formula that allowed them to win 16 of their first 19 games and frustrate many an ordinary opponent. UConn, of course, is anything but ordinary.

The No. 3-ranked Huskies (19-1, 6-1) handily beat Villanova at its own game Tuesday, making six of their first eight 3-pointers while the Wildcats missed their first nine such attempts.

UConn charged out to a 30-point lead in the first 15:30 of the game, not just because the Huskies can shoot the three, but because they have developed versatility, particularly at the top of the lineup.

"As you become more experienced you do more things naturally," Villanova coach Harry Perretta said. "That is what I see in why their whole team is evolving. As they are getting more mature they are passing the ball faster, they are shooting the ball more confidently. "

The Huskies' two legitimate All-America candidates this season — Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Stefanie Dolson — have diversified their games to become much more complete players. Dolson finished Tuesday's game with 20 points and eight rebounds, counting three mid-range jumpers and one three in her eight baskets. Mosqueda-Lewis had 19 points, four rebounds and five assists.

"Me and Stef just try to be that rock for our team and make sure that whenever I'm not hitting, Stef definitely is, whenever Stef's not rebounding, I'm trying to get in there and rebound," Mosqueda-Lewis said. "We're kind of just trying to play off of each other right now. We've both been able to score points. We've both been able to rebound. So right now we're just trying to make sure that we're consistent all the time."

Both players have scored at least 20 points in three of the last six games. And while Mosqueda-Lewis has become more well-rounded, she's still made at least five threes in five games this season including Tuesday.

"It helps us as players, and it helps our team to have a guard like Kaleena who can shoot the ball amazingly and at the same time can get in the post and post up strong," Dolson said. "And then having me be a post when we need it or step out and shoot jump shots, it just really spreads the defense out and kind of keeps them on their toes not knowing how to guard us."

For good measure, Breanna Stewart added 14 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots while Kelly Faris had six points, eight rebounds and four assists.

As a team, the Huskies shot 50 percent from the field including 42.9 percent from 3-point range (9-for-21). They also held Villanova to 27.6 percent shooting overall and 25.8 percent (8-for-31) from long range, outrebounded the Wildcats, 48-28, and turned the ball over only nine times.

"I think the starting five and Stewie and Brianna Banks, we are all just doing a great job of making sure we can do different things on the court," Dolson said. "It makes it extremely hard for the defense to figure out how to guard us. There are so many different options for us on offense."

Defensively, Dolson shut down Villanova's leading scorer Laura Sweeney by aggressively chasing her all over the court. Sweeney scored just five points on 2-for-12 shooting including 0-for-5 from 3-point range.

"To me, I think it is the biggest difference in their team, that she has made herself just a much better defender on the perimeter," Perretta said. "Last year, we actually took advantage of her on the perimeter with Laura (Sweeney). Today, Laura could not mismatch her. Once that went south, we really didn't have any other position to try to mismatch."

The biggest mismatch the Huskies can take advantage of against most opponents this season is Mosqueda-Lewis because of how comfortable she is doing more things.

"It is just a matter of I feel more in a flow when I am doing things off the ball, when I am playing good defense, when I am getting rebounds," Mosqueda-Lewis said. "It kind of just makes things offensively go a lot smoother for me. As long as I am being aggressive out there and making sure I am making plays off the ball, it just makes everything come a lot easier. It brings my confidence up when I know I am not only just scoring baskets but I am also rebounding and playing good defense and helping my team in other ways."

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